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Coca-Cola soda fountain made by Liquid Carbonic for the Columbian Exposition of the 1893 Chicago World's Fair. The bar back is 10 ft. high and 19 ft. 9 in. long. It realized $4.5 million in Richard Opfer Auctioneering's March 24-25 sale of contents of the Schmidt Museum of Coca-Cola Memorabilia. Image courtesy of LiveAuctioneers.com Archive and Richard Opfer Auctioneering.

$4.5M soda fountain is high-water mark for Richard Opfer

Tom Hoepf
Tom Hoepf

Coca-Cola soda fountain made by Liquid Carbonic for the Columbian Exposition of the 1893 Chicago World's Fair. The bar back is 10 ft. high and 19 ft. 9 in. long. It realized $4.5 million in Richard Opfer Auctioneering's March 24-25 sale of contents of the Schmidt Museum of Coca-Cola Memorabilia. Image courtesy of LiveAuctioneers.com Archive and Richard Opfer Auctioneering.
Coca-Cola soda fountain made by Liquid Carbonic for the Columbian Exposition of the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair. The bar back is 10 ft. high and 19 ft. 9 in. long. It realized $4.5 million in Richard Opfer Auctioneering’s March 24-25 sale of contents of the Schmidt Museum of Coca-Cola Memorabilia. Image courtesy of LiveAuctioneers.com Archive and Richard Opfer Auctioneering.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) – An antique soda fountain that brought in $4.5 million at a recent auction of Coca-Cola items seemed to catch everyone by surprise.

Before the auction, the marble and alabaster fountain that was displayed at the 1893 World’s Fair assessed for $125,000. The owner, Schmidt Museum of Coca-Cola Memorabilia, hoped the piece might bring $1 million. But it surpassed that after just three minutes of bidding.

Museum head Larry Schmidt told The Courier-Journal that he was “shocked” at the final price.

Phil Mooney, head archivist for the Atlanta-based Coca-Cola Co., said it was “electrifying” to be in the room as the price kept rising. He says people were “literally gasping for breath” when the price started jumping in $500,000 increments.

Auctioneer Richard Opfer said it is the highest-priced item he’s ever sold.

Click below to view the fully illustrated catalogs for both the March 24 and 25 sessions of Richard Opfer’s auction of contents of the Schmidt Museum of Coca-Cola Memorabilia, complete with prices realized, at www.LiveAuctioneers.com.

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Information from: The Courier-Journal, http://www.courier-journal.com

Copyright 2012 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

AP-WF-04-08-12 1302GMT

Click here to view the fully illustrated catalog for this sale, complete with prices realized.

ADDITIONAL LOTS OF NOTE

Coca-Cola soda fountain made by Liquid Carbonic for the Columbian Exposition of the 1893 Chicago World's Fair. The bar back is 10 ft. high and 19 ft. 9 in. long. It realized $4.5 million in Richard Opfer Auctioneering's March 24-25 sale of contents of the Schmidt Museum of Coca-Cola Memorabilia. Image courtesy of LiveAuctioneers.com Archive and Richard Opfer Auctioneering.
Coca-Cola soda fountain made by Liquid Carbonic for the Columbian Exposition of the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair. The bar back is 10 ft. high and 19 ft. 9 in. long. It realized $4.5 million in Richard Opfer Auctioneering’s March 24-25 sale of contents of the Schmidt Museum of Coca-Cola Memorabilia. Image courtesy of LiveAuctioneers.com Archive and Richard Opfer Auctioneering.